This invention involves synthetic fur garland and method for making same.
Garland is used extensively for decorations on special occasions and has been in particular favor at Christmas time becoming a standard decoration on Christmas trees. Although natural types of garland using popcorn and evergreen is used, the most common commercially prepared garland is constructed of either plastic or foil threads attached to string providing a feathery appearance that is easily draped over the areas to be festooned. Nothing in the specification or the claims should be read to limit the use of the garland for other uses including but not limited to craft applications, home decorating, packaging and other applications.
Synthetic fur in the form of knitted plush pile fabric has long been constructed in a circular knit forming a tubular shape. Raw stock, natural and synthetic fibers are interlocked into the tubular knitted body mesh, commonly known as "backing" in the trade. A backing coating is applied to stabilize the fabric and hold its shape. The tubular fabric is then slit lengthwise to produce piece goods. The piece goods are sewn together to make a continuous sheet to which the back coating is supplied generally described as sizing or a latex bonding agent for stability of the fabric. The face is then finished using vacuum, heat setting, shrinking and shearing to make the surface uniform or to groom in various contours. Even with the sizing on the backing, the knitted structure of the body mesh allows it to be pulled and stretched crosswise with little or no stretch lengthwise. The construction and characteristics of plush pile knitted fabrics is described in a number of U. S. Patents including U.S. Pat. No. 3,010,297 to Hill, U.S. Pat. No. 3,299,672 to Schmidt, U.S. Pat. No. 1,894,596 to Moore, U.S. Pat No. 2,953,002 to Hill, and U.S. Pat. No. 3,413,823, and U.S. Pat. No. 3,590,604 to Beucus, all incorporated herein by reference.
A few years ago, garland made of knitted plush pile fabric was offered for sale for Christmas trees but it was abandoned since there was no solution to the problem of the limited lengths available due to the width of the fabric. With lengths of about six feet, the effect of continuous draping garland of the Christmas tree was lost and the product was abandoned.